“I just wanted to say thank you. For two months in a row I achieved my weight loss goal and I could not have done it without you! I am down 28lbs from my highest weight and 20lbs from what used to be my normal weight. I haven’t been this weight for over 10 years and I never thought I’d see it again. Thanks for encouraging me to come to the program last April, but the major turning point was when you made me step on the scale and YES, you made me! I can’t thank you enough, it was a real eye opener and motivator.

Thanks for the great workouts, for the variety and for always working to make them better for us. Thanks for the MyFitnessPal app and all your great advice and frank discussions about food. All of it played a part in my success. I just wanted you to know that I am well aware that I could not have done this without your help and encouragement. My success is your success! It may not feel like it at times, especially in the early hours, but you are a great motivator to all of us and we are SO grateful for your adult classes! I hope the classes can continue for years to come and that we can show many others what a wonderful program you have developed. I’m happy to tell others how I achieved my weight loss, “I listened to Zak and did the work”, it was just that simple.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me do what I never thought I could! Looking forward to my next goal; don’t let me quit! Keep up the great work!!!”

Andrea Blalock

“The friendships that I have made with my peers. It is much more enjoyable and motivating working out with a group of people you enjoy being with. I feel we push, and encourage each other in a very positive way. In the past, I would simply get bored with the workouts. I would be guilty of doing the same exercise routines over and over again. You program is fresh and new. Each morning, you have no idea what you will be getting yourself into. This group environment pushes me harder to take my fitness level to the next level. If you are working out by yourself, you will cheat or skimp on certain reps or exercises. There is a sense of accountability.”

Brian Serati

“I joined Athlete Fit with a girlfriend who wanted a partner to go with her, truthfully I thought here I go again (I have joined various Gyms and bought every workout Video out there over the years) but I told her I would give it a try.

At 54 getting into shape is extremely difficult especially when you are 45lbs overweight with extremely bad knees and hips. You feel foolish walking into a Gym, the men and women half your age doing exercises with what appears to be complete ease is intimidating, you just know you are going to make a complete fool of yourself. That was what I noticed first with the Trainers at Athlete Fit they made me feel welcome. They took the time to work with me, not singling me out in front of others just quietly walking by and pointing out the correct method to safely and more effectively do the exercise.

To be honest after the first 90 days, though I was feeling better and my clothes seemed to fit a little looser I still was not seeing a difference on the Scale, I’m the type of person who must see it to believe it and I was becoming pretty discouraged. This is where the Trainers at Athlete Fit really came into play, especially Zak. He is sooo extremely encouraging, telling me not to give up. During the exercises Zak will say “5 more seconds, you can do it, only 5 more seconds” I swear it was the 5 more seconds that finally kicked in and now just under 6 months I am 18lbs lighter, no longer have bad knees and hips and for the first time in years actually enjoy and look forward to going to the Gym.

I cannot thank the Athlete Fit team enough for all they have done for me, though they will say I did it myself: I know I could never accomplished what I have so far without their expertise but more their compassion for fitness and in helping others achieve their goals. THANKS ZAK…YOU ARE THE BEST!!!!!!!!”

Karen Shives

“I was always one of those people who said that I was going to die someday, so I might as well live my life and enjoy every minute of it the way that I want. Boy was I wrong! The beginning of 2013 I joined a gym with my husband and two kids to become healthier and lose some weight. I had truly hit rock bottom. I felt like I couldn’t keep up with my kids and husband and that they were having all the fun while I was just sitting back, watching because that was all I was comfortable doing. I would sit while they roller skated. I would drive to the park rather than walk when they asked if we could walk because it was a nice day. I didn’t ever ride bikes with them because I didn’t have a bike and knew that I wouldn’t last five minutes without having to stop even if I did have one. And I hated the thought of hiking because I knew that I would slow them down. I used anything as an excuse to not make my life better, my most common excuse being my knees; I have had chronic knee pain for 15+ years. Well, I had no idea in January the journey that I was about to embark on.

I started this journey on my own and lost a little over 15 pounds in three weeks. In the middle of January, I was scheduled to connect with a personal trainer at the gym that I attend. By some strange twist of fate, that trainer was not available when the day arrived, so I was paired up with Shon Jones. At the time, I had no idea the impact this chance meeting would have on the rest of my life. For the last nine months, Shon has been the trainer extraordinaire and support I have needed to go through this life changing event.

With Shon’s help, I have modified both my exercise regimen as well as greatly changed the foods that I eat. He has shown me how to balance my workouts between cardio routines and upper and lower body strength routines. And I can’t say enough about how he has helped me not only see food in a healthy way, but also see it as a lifestyle and not a diet. He has always said that it’s not a diet, because a diet ends, it’s a lifestyle because you continue it for life. It took me a while to admit he was right about the lifestyle change. He has taught me that not only do you look at portions and calories, but also at what you are eating and, equally as important, when in the day you are eating these foods. This helps your body maximize the efficiency and usage of the nutrients you get from your food. It also makes your metabolism skyrocket, your waistline shrink, and your stomach growl!

I have lost over a hundred pounds in nine months, and while these results cannot be expected of everyone, I firmly believe that learning how to do things right, from the start has been a key role in my success. I have learned that even though I don’t want to admit it, Shon is usually right (but don’t tell him that). I have learned that I can do just about anything that he throws at me. I have learned that I am stronger than I ever thought I could be. I have learned that I can eat a LOT of food in one day and still lose weight, while gaining muscle mass. I have learned that I used my knee pain as an excuse for years because I didn’t want to find out if I COULD do it. I have learned that roller skating is fun, even when you are “old” and you have cool socks. I have learned that I can set the pace on our walks to and from the park. I have learned that it’s fun to race my son down the big hill on my new bike. I have learned that my kids are now the ones who want to turn back first on our hikes instead of me. And most importantly, I have learned that I hold the key to my happiness. I am MUCH happier than I ever was before or even thought I could be when I started this journey. I have truly had a total body makeover, inside and out!”